China Conducts Justice Mission 2025 Drills Signaling Blockade and Air Superiority Strategy Against Taiwan
Source: X
Executive Summary
China has launched large scale joint military exercises around Taiwan under the banner “Justice Mission 2025,” involving air, naval, ground, rocket, and coast guard forces. The drills simulate key phases of a Taiwan contingency, including air superiority, maritime blockade, long range strikes, and joint assaults, while also signaling Beijing’s readiness to counter US arms sales and deter foreign intervention. The scope, timing, and messaging indicate both coercive signaling and practical rehearsal for a potential campaign against the island.
Analysis
The exercises provide insight into how the People’s Liberation Army would likely prosecute an initial phase of a Taiwan operation, emphasizing isolation of the island, dominance of air and sea space, and standoff fires to reduce risk to Chinese forces.
The PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed army, navy, air force, and rocket force units around Taiwan from multiple axes, practicing joint seizure of comprehensive superiority and blockade of key ports and approaches
Air operations featured fighters, bombers, airborne early warning aircraft, electronic warfare platforms, and drones focused on securing air superiority and suppressing opposing forces at maximum range
Naval and rocket forces conducted coordinated long range strike training against land and maritime targets, consistent with efforts to keep US and allied forces at arm’s length during a conflict
Live fire drills were announced in five maritime and airspace zones around Taiwan with minimal advance notice, disrupting civilian aviation and underscoring Beijing’s willingness to accept escalation risks
Beyond current capabilities, official releases and an AI generated propaganda video point to future ambitions. The video depicted swarms of uncrewed air, surface, and ground systems integrated with manned platforms, suggesting the PLA envisions highly networked, automated joint operations in a Taiwan fight. The exercises also coincide with heightened regional tensions, including recent US arms sales to Taipei and expanded Chinese coast guard and maritime enforcement patrols around Taiwan and outlying islands. Together, these elements indicate that Beijing is using the drills both as a warning and as a realistic rehearsal to refine joint operations critical to a blockade or assault scenario.
